To Market, To Market: Finding Farmers Markets in D.C.

You want to be outdoors and connect with nature, but you’re no longer willing to trek somewhere and go camping when it’s probably going to rain anyway. But if you’re looking for a connection to the earth that will also keep you healthy, try farmers markets. Local food uniformly tastes better and makes you feel better about patronizing community vendors — though you may not feel as good about paying $6 for a loaf of homemade bread. There are farmers markets throughout the region, but here are a few to get you started.

For the most blithely bourgeois of experiences (which is what everyone is secretly looking for at a farmers market), head straight for Dupont Circle on Sunday mornings. My personal favorite vendor is the man who sells the crab cakes (you’ve never tasted anything so good), but this sprawling ode to fresh food is full of farmers selling excellent food at ridiculous prices. But hey, that’s what Dupont Circle does best.

The mother of all farmers markets is, of course, the Eastern Market in southeast D.C. If you’ve ever dated someone in the springtime in D.C., you’ve probably been here at some point, staring sappily at ach other as you stroll amid the produce-bearing stalls. It’s a classic D.C. date, and all the meandering couples don’t do the market any harm. After all, when you’re infatuated, every peach looks riper and every box of blackberries looks impossibly delicious. Also you probably have dreams of sharing fresh autumn soups (which, believe me, you will never get around to making) with your significant other and you’ll buy unwise amounts of produce in order to achieve these ultimately ephemeral concoctions.

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That said, the Eastern Market is wonderful even without the rose-colored glow bestowed by love. Their pancakes are unrivaled (get a stack of bluebucks), and their bustling indoor market offers cheeses and meats to complement the fruits and vegetables you’ll find outside. Not to mention the cheap wallets and expensive antiques on sale in the vicinity, in case you are in need of such things.

If you are going somewhere this weekend and want to get some fresh vegetables without waiting for Saturday morning, there’s a Wednesday afternoon smorgasbord of local produce about a block from the Foggy Bottom metro. Between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. you can dodge GW students (beware, they have their iPods in and will walk right into you if you don’t step aside) and stock up on homemade pastas and jellies, along with fall vegetables. The real find is the bread stall, where you can purchase the best almond croissant you’ve ever eaten. No, really. Every one of these that you eat adds approximately 90 minutes to your lifespan. That’s how tasty they are.

» Dupont Circle FreshFarm Market, 20th St. between Mass Ave and Q St. NW; Sundays, 9 a.m. 1 p.m. through December 28th, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the winter. (Dupont Circle)

» Eastern Market, 306 7th Street, SE; Tuesday through Sunday, varying hours. (Eastern Market)

» Foggy Bottom FreshFarm Market, Eye St. between New Hampshire Ave and 24th St. NW; Wednesdays, 2:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. through November 26. (Foggy Bottom)

Photo by James M. Thresher/The Washington Post

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